Summary

Della Mae Justice was born and raised in Pikeville, coal-mining country in the Appalachians. She attended law school despite a background that included living in a house without indoor plumbing, an absent father and fried squirrel often dinner fare. Her mentally ill mother married a truck driver who was hardly ever home. Della always dreamed about leaving Appalachia and managed to attend college and be accepted at a law school. She spent time abroad in France, Scotland and Ireland.

Della moved up the economic ladder quickly from poor to upper middle class. She returned home to practice law and feels she doesn’t fit in that world any longer. She saw her old world from two different vantage points. She is middle class but is still learning exactly what that means. She recognizes that coming from a poor socioeconomic group does not afford...